Process

A bone structure was molded with woodchips using an alginate inner shell and plaster outer shell. The bone broke in multiple places and was reconnected with a woodchip-glue solution (the green parts).

The bone was baked to remove residual moisture and reduce microbial competition.

PDA-grown Ganoderma Lucidum mycelium was cut into 3-5cm square pieces and transferred directly onto the bone surface, prioritising uniform distribution over contact area.

The object was suspended inside a semi-closed still-air box (SAB), allowing passive air exchange while maintaining humidity.

Environmental conditions were tuned gradually through wall misting rather than direct spraying.

Observations

Mycelium initially consolidated on the agar fragments rather than migrating immediately into the bone.

Localised contamination appeared but remained encapsulated beneath a dense mycelial layer.

Rather than expanding aggressively, the mycelium focused on sealing boundaries—suggesting defensive behaviour over exploratory growth.

This experiment foregrounded mycelium’s capacity to contain rather than eradicate competitors, and revealed the limits of direct inoculation onto nutrient-poor, structurally dominant materials.